LORD HESELTINE has called for Liverpool Vision and The Mersey Partnership to be brought together to expand their operations across the Liverpool city region.

The recommendation, made to Prime Minister David Cameron in the former trade and industry secretary’s 50-page report into how to boost growth in the region, would see Liverpool Vision and The Mersey Partnership (TMP) “harnessed” under one regional power.

But sources said realising the proposal could prove difficult, as Liverpool Vision is a taxpayer-funded “arm’s length” organisation and TMP is private sector funded.

The report, co-authored by Lord Heseltine and ex-Tescochief executive Sir Terry Leahy – and yesterday hailed by Mr Cameron as “hugely impressive” – suggests: “The expertise and resources of Liverpool Vision and The Mersey Partnership should be harnessed within a single city regional body responsible for inward investment, tourism and strategic economic planning and development.”

It highlights how Vision was instrumental in expanding the commercial district of the city centre with new offices and public spaces.

It adds that “this ensured a constant pipeline of supply to the market that attracted occupiers” but that “too many were public sector and not enough were private sector.”

TMP, alongside the Chamber of Commerce, is entirely private sector-funded and lists more than 500 businesses as members.

Neither body has previously been drawn on the possibility of a merger.

But TMP chairman Rod Holmes told the Daily Post it was right to avoid duplication of functions between the two bodies.